Conducted between November 22 and December 13, 2011, the Harris Interactive survey was commissioned by DaVinci to establish a benchmark for monitoring homeowners' color attitudes and product opinions related to the exterior of the home. The extensive survey questions dealt with gaining insights into the overall exterior of the home along with specific information on the roof, windows, siding, doors, trim and garage doors.

Some of the key findings of the survey include:

A vast majority of homeowners (88 percent) across all regions of the country see the exterior of their homes as one entity and not a sum of its separate components.

Color preference for exterior features on the home is driven mostly by homeowners' individual sense of style (45 percent) and their desire to blend in with their surroundings (42 percent).

One-third of surveyed homeowners (32 percent) indicate that they are restricted on the color palettes they are allowed to use on exterior features of their homes, usually by a homeowner association or by historical area requirements.

Curb appeal is considered extremely/very important to higher end homeowners, particularly those in the Northeast where one-third mentioned curb appeal as being "extremely important" to them.

Colorful Roofs

"We were especially interested to learn what role color plays in the homeowner's mind when planning for major home improvement projects," says Ray Rosewall, CEO and President of DaVinci Roofscapes. "What we discovered is that color does play an important role when deciding to replace exterior features. In addition, color availability from manufacturers for different exterior features plays a role in what brand a homeowner will purchase.

"At DaVinci, we offer 49 standard colors of polymer slate and shake roofing tiles that can be used to create a virtually infinite variety of color blends for a roof. Hearing these study results confirm that we're on the right track with our color offerings and that homeowners are gravitating to companies that offer a variety of colors for the home exterior."

Survey results indicate that shades of black, gray and brown are currently the most popular colors of roofing products on homes. "These results match up with our ongoing sales records," says Rosewall. "When we talk about color in roofs, we're not talking about orange, pink or purple. We're speaking about dozens of different gradations and shades of brown that we offer, from light clay to dark autumn, or a multitude of gray shades from light gray to dark weathered gray."

Roofing Desires

When considering a new roof purchase, homeowners are far more interested in purchasing a roof that lasts than cutting corners by purchasing a low-cost product. Durability was identified as the number one factor when determining which new roof to purchase, followed closely by longevity. Key factors that received the most mentions as having "a lot" of influence in the decision on what type of roof to purchase include:

Durability (88 percent)

Longevity (83 percent)

Low/no maintenance (72 percent)

Resistance to weather (71 percent)

Has a warranty (69 percent)

Fire resistancy (57 percent)

Material the roof is made of (55 percent)

Price (50 percent)

"Fortunately the family of DaVinci polymer roofing products satisfies the needs ranked highest by homeowners in this study," says Rosewall. "Durable and resistant to weather, insects, rot and mold, our recyclable tiles have a 50-year warranty and we offer the most affordable polymer tile on the market today."

One of the other interesting elements of the survey results include influencers that will encourage homeowners to purchase a new roof on an existing home. Not surprisingly, 65 percent of respondents indicated that they would replace their roof if it became damaged from severe weather. After that, significantly lower numbers of people said they would replace their roof soon because it is old and worn out (23 percent), the roof is near the end of its warranty (13 percent), they want a roof that's more energy efficient (12 percent) and their current roof looks bad, is stained or discolored (11 percent).

Study Methodology

This 15-minute survey was conducted online within the U.S. by Harris Interactive on behalf of DaVinci Roofscapes among 1,005 U.S. homeowners age 40+ with household incomes of $150,000 or more and who own a single0family home of at least $400,000 in value in the South and Midwest, at least $500,000 in the Northeast and West (excluding California) and at least $700,000 in California between November 22 and December 13, 2011 (percentages for some questions are based on a subset, based on their responses to certain questions). Figures for age, sex, race/ethnicity, education, region and household income were weighted where necessary to bring them into line with their actual proportions in the population. Propensity score weighting was also used to adjust for respondents' propensity to be online. Because the sample is based on those who agreed to participate in the Harris Interactive panel, no estimates of theoretical sampling error can be calculated.

About Harris Interactive

Harris Interactive is one of the world's leading custom market research firms, leveraging research, technology, and business acumen to transform relevant insight into actionable foresight. Known widely for the Harris Poll and for pioneering innovative research methodologies, Harris offers expertise in a wide range of industries including healthcare, technology, public affairs, energy, telecommunications, financial services, insurance, media, retail, restaurant and consumer package goods. Serving clients in over 215 countries and territories through its North American and European offices and a network of independent market research firms, Harris specializes in delivering research solutions that help its company — and its clients — stay ahead of what's next. For more information, visit www.harrisinteractive.com.

About DaVinci Roofscapes

DaVinci Roofscapes has manufactured award-winning polymer slate and shake roofing since 1999. The roofing tiles are virtually maintenance free and far more cost effective than the natural product. DaVinci leads the industry in tile thickness, the tile width variety and the greatest selection of subtle earth-toned colors. Company products have a 50-year warranty and are 100 percent recyclable. DaVinci proudly makes its products in America and is a member of the National Association of Home Builders, the Cool Roof Rating Council and the U.S. Green Building Council. For additional information call 1-800-328-4624 or visit our website.

*For the purposes of this study, homeowners are defined as those age 40 or older with household incomes of $150,000 or more and who own a single-family home of at least $400,000 in value in the South and Midwest, at least $500,000 in the Northeast and West (excluding California) and at least $700,000 in California.

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